Case Studies - Marine

Who says that being environmentally friendly can't be cost-effective as well?
QinetiQ has just unveiled the world's first advanced integrated waste management system for ships, meaning that the Royal Navy achieves not only early compliance to new environmental laws, but also significant resource savings as well.

The Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS) is, as the name suggests, a total waste management procedure that will transform vessels into self-contained units, with considerably less environmental impact. The system, which may also be used in a number of promising applications in commercial shipping as well as the construction and transport industries, has been commissioned by the MOD for use on Royal Navy vessels.

IWMS has been designed to operate for six weeks without the need to return to port in order to offload waste materials and will, therefore, significantly reduce port and harbouring offload costs, while improving operational flexibility.

IWMS has also been designed to minimise manual intervention in waste handling, thereby improving health and safety standards. The system is under trial on board HMS Grafton. A sophisticated membrane bio-reactor treats all sewage, showers and laundry waste to produce clear water, which may then be safely discharged into the ocean, or even re-used onboard for washing.

Modern incinerator technology increases the length of time waste is exposed to thermal destruction, thereby ensuring that what is eventually vented into the air is more fully oxidised, containing more C02 and fewer toxic chemicals.